Jean Frederic
This trawler was one of the Mersey-class trawlers built for escort duties during the first world war. Not completed until after the war, it was probably sold off to France after the war and requisitioned for duty in the French Navy. After the armistice in 1940, it was seized and taken over, and subsequently commissioned into Dutch service
| No picture available |
| Construction details | |
| Name | Jean Frederic* (ex-James Hulbert) (ex-M.J. Reid) |
| Dockyard | Lobnitz, Renfrew (Scotland) |
| Commissioned | September 9 1919 (RN) ?? Mercantile November 25 1940 (RNN) |
| Pennant | P-65 ( French navy ) ?? (RNN) |
| * Her name is also listed as Jean Frédéric and as Jean Frédérique. | |
| Specifications | |
| Displacement | 329 tons |
| Crew | 39 |
| Dimensions | 42,24 x 7,20 x 3,95 m |
| Armament | 4 x 75 mm model 1897 2 x .50 MG |
| ASW | Asdic Depthcharges |
| Propulsion details | |
| Boilers* | 1 cylindrical boiler |
| Machinery* | Reciprocating system |
| Performance | 70 hp |
| Shafts | 1 |
| Bunkerage | |
| Max Speed | 12 knots |
| * Engined by builder | |
| History |
| This trawler was one of the Mersey-class trawlers built for escort duties during the first world war. Not completed until after the war, it was probably sold into mercantile service, when it somehow ended up with the French Navy in WW II. This A/S-trawler was captured in Falmouth on July 3 1940 after the surrender of France, while under command of lieutenant de vasseau Delaire. In July 1940, it was decided the ship would be temporarily transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy. After commissioning, the Jean Frederic was first engaged in "anti-invasion duties", but later also started escorting convoys between Dartmouth and Falmouth. On May 1 1941, when Notre Dame de France and Jean Frederic were escorting a convoy, Jean Frederic got an asdic-contact, which she started to investigate as the rest of the convoy steamed further. However, the contact was eventually lost and the ship was suddenly attacked by a single bomber which attacked the ship with four bombs and machinegunfire. The bombs straddled the ship, causing heavy leaking, which eventually led to her demise. The crew was forced to abandon ship. Due to insufficient rescuemeasures, the crew remained on the raft until the next day. By then, already 25 of the crew ( including the captain ) had perished. The remainder were picked up by the motorlaunch ML 157. The number of deaths is very unfortunate, as the coast was in sight and the sea was relatively calm. During her service with the Dutch navy, the ship was known as "Her Netherlands Majesty's French Ship Jean Frederic", and carried both the Dutch and French flag. |
| * Another source reports 39 killed and 13 rescued. |
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